(1) Technical Field
The subject invention is directed toward a mouse yoke assembly for interfacing with a computer through the sensing means of a mouse to simulate to the operator of the assembly the sensation of flying a plane, driving a car, etc. as dictated by the software running on the computer.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
As the number of people who own or have access to a personal computer increases, so does the demand for sophisticated software. This demand has resulted in a wide range of utilitarian products such as accounting, tax and personal finance software as well as sophisticated software designed to entertain and teach. The programs designed to simulate flying an aircraft or driving a car are examples of this type of software which produces a realistic representation of the flying or driving experience on the computer monitor and which responds to user input to simulate the feeling of actual flight or driving.
While the software which runs on the personal computer is sophisticated, the means by which the operator interfaces with the software is not. Generally, the operator of such simulation software must employ a joystick to maneuver the aircraft or vehicle in conjunction with the computer keyboard which controls the throttle. Additionally, it is not uncommon that an operator must rely solely on the keyboard to interface with the simulation software. Unfortunately, neither the joystick nor the keyboard are adequate substitutes for the flight controls of an aircraft or steering wheel of a vehicle and do not give the operator the feeling that they are actually flying a plane or driving a vehicle and therefore take away from the overall experience and fun of the simulation software.
There are other means known in the art for interfacing with simulation software and which give the operator a more realistic experience. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,313 issued to Kuster et al. on Apr. 21, 1987 discloses a control yoke apparatus for computerized air craft simulation having a steering wheel mounted to a shaft which terminates in an L-shaped crank mechanism. The crank mechanism is attached to a standard joystick via a piece of resilient elastic rubber-like material. The crank mechanism transforms rotation of the wheel into rotation of the joystick to thereby maneuver the aircraft simulated on the computer monitor. The control yoke may also be used in connection with another joystick which controls the throttle of the simulated aircraft.
Although the Kuster et al. control yoke better approximates aircraft flight control, it is deficient in that it is relatively mechanically complex and requires the use of at least one X-Y two axis variable transducer in the form of a joystick mounted within the housing of the apparatus. Therefore, while an improvement over the prior art, the Kuster et al control yoke is still relatively expensive and, to my knowledge, not commercially available.
One of the accessories commonly used with personal computers today is a mouse. The mouse is a small, hand held device which can control the movement of a curser or other image on the computer monitor through an X-Y, two axis transducer which, in turn, responds to the movement of a track ball of the mouse. The mouse can be used to interface with simulation software and U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,537 issued to Potiker on Nov. 29, 1988 takes advantage of this capability. The Potiker '537 patent discloses a mouse interface assembly which is adapted to simulate aircraft or vehicle controls and to interface with simulation software through the mouse. The Potiker '537 interface assembly includes a rectangular enclosure which forms a base on which the mouse is mounted and which houses a first member having an enlarged cylindrical member which defines an enlarged peripheral surface. Movement of the cylindrical member and thus its peripheral surface actuates the track ball of the mouse. The first member, its enlarged cylindrical member and therefor the enlarged peripherical surface is manipulated through a second member which extends out of the enclosure and on which is mounted a control wheel. The second member is manually actuable by the operator to bring about simulated aircraft or vehicle maneuvers through the mouse as dictated by the software running on the computer.
However, and as with the Kuster et al. control yoke, the Potiker '537 mouse interface assembly is deficient in that it is relatively complex. The enlarged cylindrical member of the first member must be housed in an enclosure of sufficient magnitude to accommodate the cylindrical member and thus creates cost barriers from a manufacturing standpoint. In addition, the Potiker '537 patent does not disclose a means for mounting the base to a support surface such as a desk top. Accordingly, the Potiker interface assembly is susceptible to sliding or otherwise inadvertent movement on the desk top in response to movement of the control wheel.